Horizon Air Begins Seasonal Nonstop Service To Sun Valley

Press Releases

December 17th, 2003

Today, Horizon Air launches new daily nonstop service between Oakland International Airport (OAK) and Friedman Memorial Airport (SUN) in Hailey, Idaho, just 20 minutes from the famous Sun Valley Resort.

This seasonal service operates through March 28, 2004, to the world-class Sun Valley ski resort that offers 4,000 acres with 75 runs and 19 lifts.

“Horizon Air is the only carrier offering nonstop service between Sun Valley and the San Francisco Bay Area this ski season,” said Director of Aviation Steven Grossman. “Skiers wanting a change of scenery will find the short flight time of 2 hours and 10 minutes attractive for a quick getaway.”

Horizon operates this new service with 70-seat, Bombardier Q400 high-speed turboprops. The Q400 is noted for passenger comfort with generous legroom. Passengers will also find ample storage space above and under the seats. Thanks to its sophisticated noise and vibration suppression system, the Q400 boasts the quietest turboprop cabin in the sky.

Founded 22 years ago, Horizon Air has grown to become the nation's ninth largest regional airline, serving nearly five million passengers last year. Horizon Air and Alaska Airlines are subsidiaries of Alaska Air Group, Inc. Together, Horizon and Alaska serve more than 80 cities in the Lower 48, Alaska, Canada and Mexico.

OAK has served the San Francisco Bay Area for more than 75 years and is responsible for $4.5 billion in economic activity annually in the San Francisco Bay Area, generating over 70,000 jobs for the region. OAK is a revenue division of the Port of Oakland, an independent department of the City of Oakland, and served 12.7 million passengers and handled more than 600,000 metric tons of air cargo in 2002, making it the second fastest growing major airport in the nation.

The airport has over 200 flights a day on 11 domestic and international carriers to 37 nonstop destinations, including Atlanta, the Hawaiian Islands, the New York area, Washington, D.C., and Mexico and seasonal service to the Azores (Portugal), Costa Rica and now Sun Valley, Idaho.

OAK consistently has the fewest weather-related flight delays in the Bay Area. Since 1992, the airport and the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) have jointly operated a dedicated shuttle bus that meets every BART system train at the nearby Coliseum station. All on-airport rental car companies are now located at the interim Rental Car Center at 7600 Earhart Road. A common-use shuttle bus transports rental car customers between this facility and the terminals every 10 minutes. Travelers are reminded that the 98th Avenue corridor is open to both inbound and outbound traffic creating a fast, direct route to and from Interstate 880. Visit the airport’s web site at www.oaklandairport.com for more information.